There's Still More Pride to Come

It’s well know that June is the most popular month in the U.S. to celebrate LGBTQ+ pride. But even before the idea of Pride 365 caught on, June was never the only month queers protested inequality or celebrated community. And just over the border, our northern neighbor, Canada holds most of it’s Pride celebrations in August. And of course, WorldPride 2021, will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark and Malmö, Sweden later this month (August 12-22, 2021)

With some of the June events canceled or postponed, Carey Malloy, brand director for Orbitz, said at the time, “With in-person events still fluctuating as we navigate this new middle ground coming out of the pandemic, we’re seeing that many people are celebrating Pride locally now, then traveling somewhere new later in the year when hopefully parades will be back.”

As we enter August, here are some of the biggest in-person (and virtual) Prides still to come in the U.S. and Canada.

CANADA

Montreal, Quebec August 9-15, 2021 Montreal Pride Festival returns to in-person events this year, with the annual Pride March planned for August 15.  The biggest queer party of the year, District Pride Edition will also return, the final Saturday night at theThéâtre Berri in the heart of the Entertainment District.

Halifax, Nova Scotia August 12-22 While the annual parade was canceled, Halifax Pride Festival will still host small scale, daily, in-person, live events at the Garrison Grounds, showcasing a wide range of local talent. An online program will including streaming performances from our the festival site. 

Ottawa, Ontario August 22-29 Capital Pride 2021's theme is "We Still Demand! On Exige Encore!" chosen to remember that the first large-scale LGBTQ rights demonstrations in Canada occurred in 1971. On the 50th anniversary virtual and in-person events are planned, allowing participants to enjoy programming at home and outdoors.  

Calgary, Alberta August 27–September 6 B!G Pride 2021 is planning some semi-in-person events and virtual programming. The organizers hint that revelers may be able to catch a drag show from their hotel balconies or paddled down the Bow River to show their pride.

US

New Orleans, Louisiana September 2-6 OK, Southern Decadence's parties, parades, brunches and events weren’t built around the city’s official Pride, but the annual event is a celebration of all things LGBTQ+ in the south. 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Although scheduled September 4th, the 2021 event was canceled earlier this year when Philly Pride Presents suddenly disbanded after 28 years, leaving the sixth largest city in the country with no one to produce the annual parade. While a new group has sprung up to fill the void, no word yet if it will try to put something together later this fall.

Las Vegas, Nevada October 8-9 Las Vegas Pride will feature in-person events, and a parade scheduled for October 8.

Atlanta, Georgia October 9-10 In-person events return to Atlanta Pride this year, with the parade scheduled October 10.

Chicago, Illinois October 3 The Chicago Pride Parade has been delayed until Sunday, October 3rd while the postponed Chicago Pride Fest may still possibly be celebrated in-person sometime this fall. 

Phoenix, Arizona November 6-7 Phoenix Pride celebrates its 40 year anniversary with in-person events and a parade scheduled for November 6.

Some of this information was provided by Orbitz, you can see the travel company's LGBTQ+ calendar of events here.